1 of 1- ztyper
- Key Master
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- From: Somewhere in New Jersey
- Registered: 01-10-2014
- Posts: 773
My Beloved KMG
Since KatLondon posted about her Silent-Super, it's only fair if I do the same for my KMG.
I got this thing in the middle of November of 2014 as a gift from the chorus teacher. I was digging around in the prop room because I had heard of a few typewriters there. I saw a green Remington 24 from the 60's, but that was really it. However, buried in the back of the room, covered by clothes, was the Royal KMG. This thing was completely shot. The carriage was frozen in place, the battleship grey paint turned a dark brown, the platen had imprints from kids banging on the keys without paper, and there were even chunks of glass inside the basket. Yes, glass in the typewriter.
Here's what it looked like the day I got it:
So after spending nearly all four days of Thanksgiving break working on it, I gave up. I had cleaned it, oiled it, put derusting spray on it, and even dunk cleaned it because anything I did would not make it worse. So I gave it to my brother and it sat on his shelf for the better part of three months.
One day he comes into my room and says he's going to chop the keys off and sell them on ebay for $75. I said no brother of mine is going to become a keychopper or else I would disown him. It was an empty threat but it didn't work. I ended up shoveling over $25 for a broken machine which I had oringinally got for free (my bro is going to be quite successful later on...).
Apparently just moving the carriage back and forth a few times got the sticky bits all worked out and it is a lovely machine now. I just love typing on it. It feels nice, looks wonderful, and is hardy as heck. I think it turned out nicely. Best $25 I spent on a machine.
I still need to fix the wonky tab though... 
A high schooler with a lot of typewriters. That's pretty much about it.
- KatLondon
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- From: London
- Registered: 11-10-2014
- Posts: 995
Re: My Beloved KMG
Aw, I think the wonky tab is kind of sweet. What a good job YOU did, it looks loved and happy now! In my experience of these things, just using it often sorts out the sticky bits. (In half a page I went from wondering why anyone liked those green Hermes Babies to thinking it was like dancing on a puffy cloud in heaven.)
I just watched a video about a KMG on Youtube and it just has an amazing sound when it's typing. Wonderful.
You just don't see these Royals in London. When they appear in the UK they're always out in the sticks and expensive, and want collection only... I'm still waiting. My only two standards are the beloved (but still in need of new rollers and more de-rusting) SG3 (very late, 1978) and my Adler Special - a glorious, sleek, clattery brute.
You need to watch out for your brother, he sounds unscrupulous!
- Uwe
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Re: My Beloved KMG
No doubt, the Royal standards from that era are fantastic machines. Congratulations on saving that machine from death - twice. And shame on your brother for making you pay for something that had been a gift.
The pronoun I has always been capitalized in the English language for more than 700 years.
- ztyper
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- From: Somewhere in New Jersey
- Registered: 01-10-2014
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Re: My Beloved KMG
To be fair, I basically said "I'm leaving this in your room because it looks cool and I don't want to throw it away" and I got away with it for a few months. It made myself feel better because he had always wanted a cool typewriter, and so I gave him one that sorta worked. But I felt bad and have since then given him a fully functional brown Royal QDL. He actually uses it which makes his big bro proud 
A high schooler with a lot of typewriters. That's pretty much about it.
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Thread Starter- KatLondon
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Re: My Beloved KMG
Awww...! See, thats nice. I hope he's learned his lesson about keychopping! The QDL also sounds wonderful...
- The Cabin Boy
- Novice Typer
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- From: Baltimore, Maryland
- Registered: 08-4-2015
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Re: My Beloved KMG
Okay, the story about how your brother conived you out of ransom money is seriously funny. At least you don't have three of them as I do. The twins exist in a world of their own and always have, but the youngest brother who was just fourteen is my ally. He's aware of my growing interest in typewriters and is looking forward to helping revive my own Royal, the KHM I mentioned in another post.
I know a lot of collectors seem to gravitate towards portables for whatever reason, but I think these old behemoths are amazing pieces of engineering. They were sure built to take it, weren't they!
Any time one of us can rescue a behemoth from the tar pits is a victory.
Rick
"I'll wrestle you for that typewriter."- ztyper
- Key Master
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- Registered: 01-10-2014
- Posts: 773
Re: My Beloved KMG
It's always very rewarding when a machine is functional again. I love both portables and standards, but I have more portables since most people had them in their homes and such. They are amazing pieces of engineering, since you can't kill one. It's pretty hard, for there's aways a way to bring an old standard typewriter back to life.
A high schooler with a lot of typewriters. That's pretty much about it.
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Thread Starter